Colorado River Water Conservation District

The Colorado River is expected to reconnect with the sea today, for the first time in several years. Two months ago, water officials sent water down the expansive delta to improve habitat. The last stretch of the river has been dry for decades thanks to overuse. It’s used to supply drinking water, irrigate farmlands and generate power. In 2011, photojournalist and Basalt resident Pete McBride documented the dry delta in his film Chasing Water.

Water managers, users, and other decision makers from across Colorado are meeting today in Keystone. It’s part of ongoing efforts to make sure water’s being used in a smart way across the state. And now officials are starting to put together a statewide water plan, as ordered by Governor John Hickenlooper. John Stulp is the governor’s water advisor--and he’s overseeing Wednesday's meeting.

Water officials are laying out a plan for meeting the growing demands of the Colorado River in the future. The group met yesterday in California. The meeting was prompted by a study out last year. It predicts looming shortages on the River, which supplies water to 40 million people, as well as farmers and ranchers in Western states. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen has more.